What do you do when you pay for a premium add-on and the developer goes AWOL?
 

I am posting this on behalf of several hundred customers of Gio-Logist who had decided to offer up a premium version of his classifieds script and other scripts but has disapeared for months at a time leaving members unable to download products they paid for and with no support for critical issues that have left members unable to use the products that they purchased.

The terms of the copyright are such that we are not supposed to talk with other people or post code for this script elsewhere but Gio~Logist is not assisting with the resolution of issues...

So, would it be wrong if a number of the customers were to pool our resources and hire more responsible developer to improve the script? On an individual basis it would be too expensive for one site to hire a programer but with a hundred or more people $10/ea we could come up with enough money to make it worth a developer's time to resolve these issues and fix a number of the faulty logic and poor design aspects of the script that we have already paid for....

This is an ethical issue I guess but I need this script and I have personally invested way too much of my own time writing code and assisting in the developent of a script that the developer seems to have little interest in supporting!

What should we do?

Because he owns the copyright to the code, he can control how the code is used; even if he decides not to work on it anymore.

No way around it, unless you want to risk a lawsuit, you'd need his permission to pool your resources.

I would recommend you looking for him on sites like rentacoder.com and review them with as negative coder and stuff. I had the same recently and feel cheated. Besides my money was lost too.

Good luck m8

First thing to do could be to ask vBulletin staff to REMOVE the add-on entry on Mods forum. It will stop publicity for Gio-Logist and stop the swindle ...

OK, I have looked at the legal terms and conditions and this is the copyright claim...


So, if a group of people needed specific fixes, would allowing a programmer get access to the files to fix the bugs and solve usability issues really be "redistributing, reproducing, or publishing" the code?

I really don't know what to do as I have two licenses and the software does work but the development has hit a dead end back in April with a sprinkle of hope every few months before the next vanishing act...

I am just frustrated as I have really tried to be patient but now I have this half developed script and I can not code what I need and I would love t get together with a few people to hire a coder to fix this mess...

Is this really am infringement on these copyright claims to have owners of the software hire someone else as a group to fix functional issues? Hell, people modify other software to meet their needs (Say MS Windows as an example)...

The big bugs in this code have to do with usergroup permissions, image uploads, and the auction functionality as a whole.

I sure hope something can be done about this, I don't really care about the money I gave him (I considered it lost a LONG time ago), but it would be really nice if someone could put some more work into it to resolve some open issues.

Quarter, if there is some way to legally allow someone to develop the code further, I nominate you as I know you are the only person who knows it inside and out at this point. I'd be glad to throw some money your way if you can work on some of the common requests.

Yea,

I was lookin into this not to long ago until i saw this, not much you can do at this point.

Im sure he'll return with an excuse or what not.

After reading the copyright, the only line that seems relevent is

I see no problem with people who paid for the premium version to decide to do modifications at their own risk. The fact that they all agree to do the same thing is irrelevent. What would NOT be OK, would be to turn around and offer the premium version (I presume he delivered some code for the premium version) for sale.

I didn't get the premium. I would love to use the basic hack, but I hate using something that is no longer supported. Seems like it would be OK if some kind soul adopted and supported the basic version, and upgraded as they saw fit.

BTW, Gio is just 15 years old!

Yes, we know Gio is only 15 and I have a great deal of respect for his coding abuility at that age. Still, those of us that bought into the script and the concept can no longer waite another 10-years until he matures enough to work with his customers to get this script where it needs to be...

I am sure that none of us that would be going in together are looking to make a script that we will sell. At this point, the goal is simply to get some help fixing issues that would be too expensive for us to hire out on a one-on-one basis...

In the past, I have shared my code with Gio to fix his script but given his failure to show any interest in helping to improve the base script these improvements to the code will not be going back to Gio to improve his program any longer as if he doesn't want to help I see no reason to continue helping him develope a product he does not wish to support himself.

@Quarterbore

You are not the only one that hasn't recieved contact from him. He has run away with other vb.org member's money, mine included. A few members at vb.org paid him to make custom mods, of which he took upfront payment and ran. I have proof PM'd to me by various users and a case is being made against him with vb.org staff. If you have anything you would like to say about Gio, his service, him taking money without providing return service, or anything of this nature, PM everything to user "Chris M". (he is vb.org staff). Gio will need to face the fact that he has a lot of people wanting to contact him, and if he keeps failing to respond, action needs to be taken so that people know his pattern of dissappearing and untrusting business practices.

Consequences he can face if enough people PM and build a case:
- user can be black marked to warn other vb.org users about his bad behaviours
- his account on vb.org can be banned
- the issue can be brought up to vbulletin.com staff, investigated, and his entire vbulletin license can be revoked, causing him to shut down his website (siteresort)
- paypal investigation/claim to freeze his funds if enough people file a joint complaint